Window regulator mechanism



Feb. 6, 1968 M. A. PACKETT ET AL 3,367,196

WI NDOW REGULATOR MECHANI SM Filed July 28, 1966 fi\\\ may mpmms u 1 United States Patent 3,367,196 WINDOW REGULATOR MECHANISM Marvin A. Packett, Detroit, and Otto J. Langmesser, Jr., Mount Clemens, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 28, 1966, Ser. No. 568,643 6 Claims. (Cl. 7489.18)

This invention relates to a window regulator and more particularly to an improved regulator for a vehicle window.

One feature of the invention is that it provides an improved window regulator. Another feature of the invention is that it provides a window regulator wherein the driven regulator arm is mounted on the regulator drive means in a manner permitting limited movement of the driven arm relative to the drive means. A further feature of the invention is that it provides a window regulator with drive means having a generally planar portion, a driven arm connected to the window, and means mounting the driven arm on the drive means in a manner permitting limited movement of the driven arm relative to the drive means in directions generally transverse of the face of said planar portion to accommodate movement of said window in similar directions. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an automobile body having the improved window regulator mounted therein, a portion of the rear quarter outer body panel being broken away to illustrate the window regulator:

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view showing the window regulator of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a detail section taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2, the window regulator drive arm being shown in a deflected position in broken lines.

In FIGURE 1, the reference character designates an automobile body having a rear quarter outer panel 12 and inner panel 14 upon which is mounted a manually driven window regulator designated generally by the reference character 16 and connected to a rear quarter Window 18 which may be moved by means of the window regulator from the closed position shown to an open position where the top edge of the window lies adjacent the belt line 20 of the automobile body. Because of the curved contour of the window and the automobile body, during its movement between closed and open positions the window 18 traverses a path which is curved in directions measured transversely to the general plane in which the window lies; i.e., a path which curves in directions generally transverse of the vehicle body. This invention provides an improved window regulator having means to accommodate this curved movement.

The window regulator comprises a mounting plate 22 which is bolted at 24 to the inner door panel 14. An operating shaft 26 is rotatably carried by the mounting plate and at its inner end inside the vehicle passenger compartment, the shaft 26 carries a crank 28. At its outer end inside a housing flange 30, the shaft 26 carries a pinion 32 which meshes with a gear sector 34 which, as seen best in FIGURE 5, has a generally planar face portion 36. The gear sector 34 is rotatably mounted on the mounting plate 22 by means of a stud 38. A driven arm is mounted on the gear sector 34 and is connected at its free end to the window by conventional means including a roller 42 which seats in a guide channel 44 carried by the lower frame portion of the window. Upon turning the crank "ice 28, the gear sector 34 is swung about the stud 38, thereby swinging the driven arm 40 to move the window between closed and open positions.

The structure described above is generally conventional and the invention claimed herein resides in the improved means for mounting the driven arm 40 on the gear sector 34 in a manner permitting limited movement of the driven arm relative to the gear sector in directions generally transverse of the face portion 36 of the gear sector toaccommodate movement of the window 18 in similar directions. The mounting means includes two connections between the face portion of the gear sector and the driven arm, the first connection being to an intermediate portion of said arm and permitting movement of said intermediate portion toward and away from said face portion 36 of the gear sector. As shown best in FIGURE 5, this first connection comprises a headed stud 46 carried by the gear sector 34 and projecting through a slot 48 in the arm 40 to permit movement of the arm 40 relative to the gear sector, as shown by broken lines in FIGURE 5, the extent of this movement being limited by the head 46a of the stud 46. The second connection between the gear sector 34 and the arm 40 is to an end portion of the arm and includes a resilient member in yieldable engagement with the arm. A second headed stud 50 projects from the gear sector 34 through a slot 54 in the end portion of the arm 40 and a grommet 52 of resilient yieldable material, as rubber, is compressed between the head 50 of the stud and the surface of the arm 40 to permit movement in the range indicated by the broken lines in FIGURE 5. The slots 48 and 54, which loosely receive the respective studs 46 and 50, are elongated in the general direction of extent of the driven arm 40 to permit rocking motion of the arm. A pair of pivot projections 56 extend from the surface of arm 40 into engagement with the face 36 of the gear sector, said projections being on opposite sides of the headed stud 50 in directions generally transverse to the direction of elongation of slot 54, as shown in FIG- URE 4, to provide a fulcrum about which the arm 40 may swing. The pivot projections 56 and the compressed arrangement between the arm 40 and the grommet 52 space the body portion of the arm from the face of the gear sector to permit movement as illustrated in FIGURE 5 without interference from the gear sector.

As the window 18 traverses the curved path above described, the driven arm 40 pivots about an axis defined by a line drawn through the stud 50 between the opposite projections 56 to accommodate the movement of the window. Since the pivot axis of the arm 40 is adjacent the mounted end of this arm, the arm acts as a lever permitting a relatively wide range of curved movement of the window.

While we have shown and described one embodiment of our invention, it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A vehicle window regulator, comprising in combination: drive means mounted on the vehicle body, said drive means having a generally planar portion; a driven arm connected to the window; and means mounting said driven arm on said drive means in a manner permitting limited movement of said driven arm relative to said drive means in directions generally transverse of the face of said planar portion to accommodate movement of said window in similar directions.

2. A vehicle window regulator, comprising in combination: drive means mounted on the vehicle body and including a gear sector having a generally planar face portion; a driven arm connected to the window; and means mounting said driven arm on said gear sector in bodily spaced relationship therewith in a manner permitting limited movement of said driven arm relative to said gear sector in directions generally transverse of the face portion thereof to accommodate movement of said window in similar directions.

3. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 2, wherein said mounting means includes at least one pivot projection between the face of said gear sector and said driven arm for spacing the body portion of said arm from the face of said gear sector.

4. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 2, wherein said mounting means includes a stud projecting from the face of said gear sector and a resilient member between said arm and said stud.

5. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 2, wherein said mounting means includes two connections between the face portion of said gear sector and said driven arm, the first being to an intermediate portion of said arm and permitting movement of said intermediate portion toward and away from said face portion, and the second being to an end portion of said arm and including a resilient member in yieldable engagement with said arm.

6. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 5, wherein said first connection comprises a stud projecting from the face of said gear sector through a slot in said arm, and said second connection comprises a headed stud projecting from the face of said gear sector, said resilient member being compressed between the end portion of said arm and the head of said stud, and wherein said mounting means includes a pair of pivot projections between the face of said gear sector and said driven arm, said projections being on opposite sides of said headed stud.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,873,612 2/1959 Schneidewind 7489.13

FRED C. MATTERN, 111., Primary Examiner.

20 F. D. SHOEMAKER, Assistant Examiner.

Disclaimer 3,367,196.Ma1"vin A. Puckett, Detroit, and Otto J. Langmesser, Jn, Mount Clemens, Mich. WINDOW REGULATOR MECHANISM. Patent dated Feb. 6, 1968. Disclaimer filed Mar 2, 1970, by the assignee, General Motors Gorpamtz'on. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claim 1 of said patent.

[Oficial Gazette July 7', 1.970.] 

1. A VEHICLE WINDOW REGULATOR, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: DRIVE MEANS MOUNTED ON THE VEHICLE BODY, SAID DRIVE MEANS HAVING A GENERALLY PLANAR PORTION; A DRIVEN ARM CONNECTED TO THE WINDOW; AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID DRIVEN ARM ON SAID DRIVE MEANS IN A MANNER PERMITTING LIMITED MOVEMENT OF SAID DRIVEN ARM RELATIVE TO SAID DRIVE MEANS IN DIRECTIONS GENERALLY TRANSVERSE OF THE FACE OF SAID PLANAR PORTION TO ACCOMMODATE MOVEMENT OF SAID WINDOW IN SIMILAR DIRECTIONS. 